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It's me or the dog

This weeks show really upset me. For the transatlantics (or down-unders) among you that don't see it a black cocker spaniel was put down by his owner at the end of the episode after he mauled one of the young kids. He had bitten her several times before when she got between him and his food.

It upset me so much, partly because I could really relate to the owner who loved his dog and felt he could do nothing else. I really cried when he had to bury her Partly it upset me because surely it was avoidable, with better training, more consistency...??

OMG I am glad I missed it {{{{{{{{Cecily}}}}}}}} that was something you really didn't need to see

I just don't understand people having small kids and untrained dogs together. I never ever left my kids and dog/s together when the kids were small and especially not at mealtimes. So I do know that it can be done.

Last week when I had Whitney here as well, I looked after my friend's little boy and every time I left the room I made sure the dogs all came with me - you just never know (saying that, it was the dogs I wanted to keep safe as I trusted them more ).

Given the behaviour of the dog in unprovoked situations, I'd guess the cocker might have rage syndrome -- its behaviour is consistent with this, the dog just goes berserk and will maul things -- and sadly is a known problem in some cockers thanks to the usual suspects, backyard breeders, unethical show breeders who don't make temperament in this breed paramount, and puppy farms. It is believed to be neurological and also believed to be more prevalent in wholecolour cockers, usually reds. For this reason many trainers do NOT recommend cockers for family homes with young kids -- some can be snappy and difficult. I have seen this said by many experienced rescues so it isn't a 'myth' as some would have it. At the same time the issue probably isn't as widespread as some would say. It is also known in springers -- a friend's springer had it and would just start going nuts and bite, though others he owned were fine and well trained and loved.

That said I would have liked to see her actually temperament test this dog!! Not advise to pts by phone!! On the other hand, this dog should not be in that home around children any longer, given the number and nature of bite incidents -- and finding someone very experienced to take on a deeply troubled dog if the problem WASN'T nneurological, when so many others need rehoming, especially in a breed as common in shelters as a cocker, would be very hard. This is the very tough part of rescue and training -- you need to know when to make such hard decisions and be able to manage what you take on. Quite frankly I would not have kept that dog in that home roaming free after it bit the first THREE times! I am a bit shocked she allowed the dog to continue to roam around with the children.

Again I am going to get on my soapbox, annoy everybody and say this is why it is so unethical to breed dogs just because you think you'd like to (for whatever reason!), you think yours are healthy but don't actually know anything about their background (no one could look at a cocker and 'know' it had the genes for rage syndrome -- that dog was beautifully cared for and looked in the prime of health otherwise), or you'd just like another dog like the one you already have (you can't duplicate individuality). These are the kinds of problems that arise in animals simply because WE made poor choices in mating them... and the gradual result of indiscriminate breeding over several years for poor, popular cockers has been a known incidence of rage syndrome -- which results in dogs being pts -- and very distraught and devastated owners.

cocker

i to found it upsetting i had a friend here who said i would have given it a good kicking that would have sorted it out what he said upset me more ,and when they buried the dog that was sad hope i dont see any like that again

Is this a TV show over there? It sounds awful to put down a dog for that reason.....I hate it when people get mad at dogs when clearly kids have provoked the dog!! I work with about 4 women who all have dogs, and I call them "dog owners" and not dog lovers. One woman got a stray from the local Humane Association, and it wasn't long before she had it put to sleep "beacause the dog was peeing all over her house and was untrainable...." I was so mad at her I didn't look at her or talk to her for weeks. Her idea of "training" the poor dog to go potty outside was to just open her front door and let the poor dog run loose in the neighborhood. And I am also mad at the vet who put a perfectly sweet and healthy dog down. This dog was very sweet and and very trainable...... There are so many awful people out there who should never ever have dogs.

The kids didn't provoke the dog at all, as that of course would be an issue otherwise. The kids were all amazingly good with the dogs given how badly behaved the dogs were to begin with, and also were very calm and understanding about being attacked! which I don;t think I would have been!

The dog in quesiton attacked their very young daughter and bit her three different times because the child dropped food and went to pick it up. In the final case the older daugher, around 6, was attacked and it was completely unprovoked, she was just coming in with laundry from the garden -- and he mauled her, as he did with the 4 year old once too. The 6 year old was bitten everywhere from her hands to thighs to chest. In such a case the dog absolutely had to be removed from that situation and if there is no option to put it somewhere else (who would take this dog?) -- sometimes pts is the only option. I firmly believe this. It is the hardest thing about rescue and about working as a trainer but sometimes is the right and the only decision. In the case of this dog I'd have liked to see more consideration given to the whole notion of a dangerous dog though as it could have seemed it was just hard to train and therefore had to be pts.

I must agree with Karlin here. This attack was unprovoked and frankly the dog was a danger to anyone. It is sad and I feel for the owner but the little girl was covered in bites. This dog had lost the plot. It isn't usually clear on this program but the training goes on for a few weeks and still the problem escalated. I do wonder though if the new house rules which had to be inforced ie. not grabbing food from the childrens hands and table, growling over being removed from the parents bed etc., prompted the dog to assert his threatened leadership. What do you think?